As the virtual reality boom draws near, developers have to adjust to a new software-making reality. Fortunately, game companies joining the ranks are bringing new tools with them specifically for creators of games and apps. The latest: Unity Technologies. See also: Google Jump Will Revolutionize Making Virtual-Reality ExperiencesTuesday, Unity Technologies, maker of the Unity game engine—the software powering many of today's most popular … [Read more...]

The mystery of Nest’s June 17 event might have been solved, thanks to a just-discovered filing at the Federal Communications Commission. The Google-owned smart home company, which bought Dropcam last year, entered paperwork with the FCC for a new "wireless camera" of some sort. See also: Google's Offering Smarter Tools For Smarter Apps And HomesSpotted by 9to5Google, the FCC application by Nest Labs Inc. was submitted and approved in … [Read more...]

By now, the notion of a work-optimized iPad Pro is a cliché, with rumors about Apple's not-quite-a-laptop having circulated for years. But with Monday’s reveal of new features coming to iOS 9-powered Apple tablets, the long-awaited release of the iPad Pro finally seems more like inevitability than fantasy. The company certainly wants to give its prized tablet a boost, considering the device's slumping sales. Apparently, Apple sees … [Read more...]

At Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference, executive Craig Federighi offered up tons of announcements about changes heading to iPhones and iPads with iOS 9—namely, smarter voice features and updates designed to improve the experience of making apps and using them. See also: App Makers Now Have More Access To The Guts Of The Apple WatchThe new version of the company's mobile software enters the developer preview phase Monday, followed by the … [Read more...]

Valve and HTC’s Vive—the most high-profile virtual reality headset that isn’t called Oculus Rift—has started its journey to would-be game makers. The news broke in a blog post by Valve’s Chet Faliszek on Friday, who explained that the first batch of developer kits have shipped to folks all over the content-making map. That includes movie studios and game developers—of both the top-tier and indie variety; remaining developers will receive … [Read more...]

On stage at WWDC, Apple’s Craig Federighi announced new developer tools to give app makers deeper search powers in iOS 9. The new search API (application programming interface) will offer developers deep linking, and their users will be able to more easily conjure search results from within third-party apps with a single tap. See also: Don't Look Now, But Deep Linking Just Got HotFederighi explained:We now have an API for search. So now … [Read more...]

Less than 48 hours after putting out a call to action to its supporters, Pebble has apparently convinced Apple to move its new smartwatch apps onto the App Store. The smartwatch maker posted an update on its Kickstarter page for the Pebble Time on Friday to share the good news—and to thank its supporters for letting Apple know that they’d sure like to have access to Pebble’s apps.“It’s thanks to you, the one-million-and-growing … [Read more...]

Here’s some good news for Android TV users: Now there are apps you can download. Like, about 600 more of them.And it's good news for developers as well, who can have confidence their TV-optimized apps might gain an audience.It's all thanks to an update to the Android TV Play Store app which went live on Thursday. It does away with the threadbare, handpicked list of compatible apps for the Android TV platform, the version of the Android operating … [Read more...]

It’s happened again: Apple is taking its sweet time to approve the latest versions of Pebble’s new smartwatch apps, which are essential to the launch of its new Pebble Time line.Though Pebble Time units started shipping last week to backers who preordered the device on Kickstarter, iPhone-using customers won't be able to connect their new Pebbles to their smartphones without the new app. The holdup has gotten so bad that Pebble sent an email … [Read more...]

Google has big plans for your body, and Study Kit—the name shared by a mysterious Android app and Chrome Extension—is proof.The apps appear to be the next phase in Google’s Baseline Study initiative, a “moonshot” the company first acknowledged in 2014 via a report in the Wall Street Journal. On Wednesday, TechCrunch reported on the newly available Study Kit browser extension. Both it and the Android app released in March suggest that Google … [Read more...]

Blocks Wearables, a UK-based startup that’s been working on a modular smartwatch since early 2014, announced its plan Tuesday to release its first product through a crowdfunding campaign set to launch this summer.The company earned a finalist spot in Intel’s Make it Wearable contest in late 2014, and the experience seems to have given it the jumpstart it needed.The Blocks smartwatch embraces the idea of modularity at a time when consumers are … [Read more...]

Two of the three major wireless-charging standard groups—the Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP) and the Power Matters Alliance (PMA)—finally announced Monday that their plans to merge are official. After over a year of discussion, PMA and A4WP are officially becoming one, leaving the Wireless Power Consortium and its Qi wireless charging platform as the sole alternative.While two is better than three for hardware developers trying to sort out … [Read more...]

With a presentation rivaling Google I/O's keynote in scope and ambition, Google's Advanced Technology and Projects (ATAP) team took to the stage Friday to give the world a peek at its latest "badass," unconventional whacks at technology. Plucked from Motorola shortly before its sale to Lenovo in 2014, ATAP has spawned some of Google’s most intriguing initiatives, including the Project Ara modular smartphone and Project Tango … [Read more...]

A new, high-end Windows Phone was spotted on the GFXBench benchmarks database on Friday. This could wind up being Microsoft’s next flagship Lumia—and the first one to offer its exciting new Windows 10 feature, Continuum, which lets you turn your phone into a desktop PC.Neowin noted that NokiaPowerUser was the first to spot the listing, which calls the phone a “Nokia RM-1106,” and says it runs the Windows Phone operating … [Read more...]

Social Networking Guide

Wondering how to grow your Facebook following without resorting to paid advertising? Want to discover the secrets to getting more fans and driving them to your blog? To learn how one marketer has … [Read Entire Article]

Are you using Facebook ads effectively for your business? Do you want to get results without spending a lot of money? By selecting a well-targeted audience with your Facebook ads, you can reach your … [Read Entire Article]

Do you use LinkedIn to prospect for new business? Want to reach a highly targeted professional audience with your message? LinkedIn ads are an excellent way to increase visibility and generate leads. … [Read Entire Article]

WiredFacebook's New AI Can Paint, But Google's Knows How to PartyWiredAs it revealed on Friday, Facebook is teaching its neural networks to automatically create small images of things like airplanes, automobiles, and animals, and about 40 percent of the time, these … [Read Entire Article]

Facebook data reveals Hillary Clinton and fellow Democrat Bernie Sanders top Facebook users interaction, which included likes, shares, posts, and comments. The data was composed in three of the early voting states: Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. … [Read Entire Article]

College freshmen are using Facebook to post the most bizarre messages to their ...Business InsiderSo what do they do in the meantime? They connect with their future classmates on Facebook — and they post some pretty embarrassing introductions, requests, and personal … [Read Entire Article]